What did researchers do?

Publishing their study in the journal Science, the research is based on DNA sequencing of 1,537 modern humans from 139 different ethnic groups. The researchers compared shared genetic traits and ancestry, which allowed them to reconstruct the ancient journey, and map out when different populations diverged (Picture: Getty)

New study reveals how the first people to inhabit America got there

Corresponding author Dr Kim Hie Lim from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, said: ‘Those migrants carried only a subset of the gene pool in their ancestral populations through their long journey. Thus, the reduced genetic diversity also caused a reduced diversity in immune-related genes, which can limit a population’s flexibility to fight various infectious diseases. This could explain why some Indigenous communities were more susceptible to illnesses or diseases introduced by later immigrants, such as European colonists. Understanding how past dynamics have shaped the genetic structure of today’s current population can yield deeper insights into human genetic resilience’ (Picture: Getty)

Once the early humans were in South America, the research shows that they split into four major populations. This included a group in the Amazon basin, others in the dry Chaco region in the east, some south to Patagonia’s ice fields, and others in the valleys of the Andes Mountains. The researchers believe that their findings could also help explain the genetic diversity of Asia, where the early humans migrated from, which they say is higher than in other parts of the world, including those in America (Picture: Getty)

Senior author Dr Stephan Schuster from NTU said: ‘This reshapes our understanding of historical population movements and lays a stronger foundation for future research into human evolution. Our new insights underscore the importance of increasing the representation of Asian populations in genetic studies, especially as genomics plays a critical role in personalised medicine, public health, and the understanding of human evolution’ (Picture: Getty)